1

CD-ROM Appendix H:Open Ended Problems

CDH.1 AIChE National Student Chapter Competition

This exercise was given as an open-ended problem to 160 students (working ingroups of 4) in the University of Michigan Chemical Reaction Engineeringclass Winter Term 1997. However, the students were to only design the exper-iment and not build the experiment as is the case with the national competi-tion. Each group of students presented its design on poster boards to an outsidepanel of judges. The same judging criteria applied for the posters as for thenational competition.

MEMORANDUMTO: Student ChaptersRE: National Student Chapter Competition

For the past several years we have all seen the esprit de corps, excite-ment, and learning that has been generated among undergraduates from engi-neering disciplines engaging in national competitions. The civil engineers havethe “concrete canoe race,” the mechanical engineers the “egg-drop competi-tion,” and there is the interdisciplinary “solar car race.” Many students, faculty,and practicing engineers would like to give chemical engineers a similar expe-rience, one that would educate others about our profession and receive similarpublicity (e.g., newspapers, perhaps even TV coverage). It has been suggestedthat the latter would be more probable if the competition involved topicalissues: environment, energy reduction, worldwide food production, and thelike. In any case, safety should be a primary concern (e.g., no explosive ortoxic chemicals).

To celebrate the newest division of the American Institute of ChemicalEngineers, the Chemical Reaction Engineering Division, the first competitionwill be concerned with chemical reaction engineering.

2

Appendices

THE 1998 COMPETITION

Design, build, and operate an apparatus for an undergraduate laboratory experimentthat demonstrates chemical reaction engineering principles and that is novel or per-haps strives to do the improbable (e.g., won't a concrete canoe sink?).

The experiment should be bench scale and of the type currently found inundergraduate laboratory courses. It is also possible that the experiment could beused for a lecture demonstration. The experiment should cost less than $500 in pur-chased parts to build.

The first year’s competition could include experiments that would eitherproduce a product (e.g., yogurt or something that would fffind use in the feed-ing of starving nations) or demonstrate how an environmental problem mightbe solved (e.g., wetlands to degrade toxic chemicals). The winners (perhapssecond place also) of the regional competition will be invited to bring theirexperiments to the annual AIChE meeting, where the national winners will beselected. General Mills has agreed to sponsor the competition and the follow-ing prizes will be awarded to the student chapters:

1st prize $2,0002nd prize $1,000 3rd prize $500

In addition, a description of the winning experiment will be published in

Chemical Engineering Education

. The first regional competition will be held atthe 1998 Student Chapter Regional Conferences and the finals at the 1998 annualmeeting in Miami Beach, Florida. The rules and judging criteria are attached.

Rules

1. Design, build, and operate an apparatus for an undergraduate labora-tory experiment that demonstrates the principles of reaction engineer-ing principles and that is novel or perhaps strives to do theimprobable (e.g, won't a concrete canoe sink?). The experimentshould be bench scale and of the type currently found in most under-graduate laboratory courses. It is also acceptable that the experimentbe of the type that would be used for a lecture demonstration.

2. The experiments should encompass “simplicity/ease of communica-tion to nontechnical people.” The process should be one easily under-stood by people outside the profession. Either the object of theprocess, such as the manufacture of yogurt, the importance of theproject, such as feeding many people from increasingly scarceresources, or the process itself should be easily communicated to peo-ple without a background in chemical engineering. Media coverage(newspapers/television/radio) is one way to show success.

3. The competition will be conducted on the honor system. The facultyand graduate students can act only as sounding boards to student que-ries. The faculty

cannot be idea generators

for the project. The stu-dent chapter advisor or department chair must write a cover letter

Sec. CDH.1 AIChE National Student Chapter Competition

3

stating to the best of his or her knowledge that students have abidedby the rules. Students who work on the project must also sign a state-ment stating that they have abided by the rules.

4. The competition is to be a team competition with at least 20% of theteam being composed of members from each of the junior and seniorchemical engineering classes. The minimum number of participants is5 and the maximum is 15 per university.

5. Associated measuring equipment (e.g., pH meter) must be of the typethat is readily available at most universities through department own-ership or borrowing from other departments in the university.

6. Purchased parts must cost less than $500. This price does not includea PC for data acquisition, or associated measuring or other (e.g.,pumps, fittings, vessels) equipment that exists in most chemical engi-neering undergraduate laboratories.

7. The experiments will be displayed at the regional meeting. A posterboard should accompany the apparatus as well as a 5- to 10-pagereport describing how the idea for the experiment was generated, theunderlying principles, the experimental procedure, and sample results.In the event that the apparatus may not be physically brought to themeeting, videotape or other means may be used to assist understand-ing of the experiment. The top one or two winners of the regional stu-dent chapters will be eligible to compete in the finals to be held at theannual meeting.

8. Safety regarding assembling and operating the experiment must beaddressed.

9. The student chapter advisor or department chair at the host chapter atthe regional conference will select a panel of three judges. The judgescan be from industry or be faculty or students. The judges cannot beaffiliated with any organization that has an entry.

The number of winners selected to go to the finals will dependon the number of regional entries. If there are six or fewer entries,one winner will be selected to advance to the national competition. Ifthere are seven or more entries, two winners will be selected. Thedecision of the regional and national judges shall be final.

Judging Criteria

1. Creativity/novelty/originality 40 points 2. Statement of the principle to be demonstrated

and clarity in demonstrating that principle 30 points3. Proper description of the safety issues associated

with building and operating the experiment 15 points4. Simplicity/ease of communication/media coverage 15 points5. Quality of communication 10 points

Introduction: How was the idea generated? What principle does the experimentdemonstrate and why is it important?

4

Appendices

Discussion: Explain the fundamentals.Procedure: Discuss safety concerns.Results: Describe what you found.

6. Opportunity for subsequent laboratory groups tostudy different variables or outcomes usingthe same apparatus 10 points

7. Ease, desirability, and feasibility of being replicatedby another student chapter 10 points

8. Physical appearance 10 points9. Participation (more than 16 hours) by someone who is

not a chemical engineering major (3 points for eachnon-chemical engineering major) and/or participationby chemical engineering sophomores (2 points foreach sophomore) (10 points maximum) 10 points

150 points

CDH.2 Effective Lubricant Design

1

Background

Lubricants are often applied at the interface between rubbing surfaces toreduce friction and prevent wear by disallowing direct surface-to-surface con-tact. An automobile engine has many contacting metal parts, such as the pis-tons and cylinders, and the cam lobes and cam followers. Without adequatelubrication, the sliding metal parts within the engine would wear appreciably,leading to engine failure. A typical consumer may expect to drive more than100,000 miles before experiencing severe engine problems resulting from wearwithin the engine. To meet this expectation, lubricant manufacturers, in closecollaboration with automobile manufacturers, continue to develop improvedlubricant formulations.

Lubricants are formulated by blending a base oil with additives to yielda mixture with the desirable physical and chemical properties dictated by theapplication environment. Base oils are typically derived from petroleum andare complex mixtures of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons. However, somelubricants are blended using synthetic base oils. Examples of synthetic baseoils include esters, polyphenyl ethers, polyalphaolefins, and perfluoroalky-lethers. Lubricant additives are classified according to their function, includingantioxidants, viscosity index (VI) improvers (to maintain desired viscosity overa wide temperature range), antiwear additives, friction modifiers, dispersants,detergents, pour point depressants, and antifoaming agents. A fully formulatedlubricant typically consists of 80–90% base oil and 10–20% additives.

Lubricant development requires an understanding of the specific prob-lems and needs associated with lubrication such as: the need for automotivelubricants with enhanced oxidation stability, antiwear properties, and physical

1

Problem provided by General Motors Research Laboratories, Warren, Michigan.

Sec. CDH.2 Effective Lubricant Design1

5

properties under severe operating condition. A kinetics model may be used totry to predict the oxidative degradation behavior of lubricants under differingconditions.

Lubricant Degradation Model

: A fresh lubricant may have physical prop-erties ideally suited to its application, but as the lubricant degrades its physicalproperties can change markedly. This transformation can lead to increased fric-tion and wear at lubricated surfaces. After significant degradation takes place,sludge and varnish deposits may form on lubricated surfaces to further hinderthe smooth operation of lubricated components. There is general agreement inthe literature that under normal service conditions a major portion of lubricantdegradation is due to oxidation of the lubricant base oil. Consequently, a greatdeal of lubricant research has focused on base oil degradation and the inhibi-tion of oxidation through the use of antioxidant additives. The oxidation of alubricant base oil follows the hydroperoxide chain mechanism for hydrocarbonoxidation. Some of the major steps of this mechanism are listed in Reactions(1)–(10).

Low Temperatures, No Antioxidants

INITIATION

PROPAGATION

TERMINATION

High Temperatures, No Antioxidants

INITIATION

PROPAGATION

Low and High Temperatures with Antioxidants

1( ) I2 !!" 2 I •2

( )

I

• +

RH !!" R • + HI #$%

k

0

k

1

3( ) R• + O2 !!" RO 2 •

4

( )

RO

2

• +

RH !!" ROOH R • ! #$%

k

P

1

k

P

2

5( ) RO2• + RO2• !!" Inactive products #$%

k

t

6( ) ROOH !!" RO• + •OH #$%

k

i

3

7( ) RO• + RH !!" RO 2 H + R•

8

( )

•OH + RH !!" HOH R • ! #$%

k

P

4

k

P

5

9( ) RO2• + AH !!" ROO H + A• k

A

1

10( ) A• + RO2• !!" Inactive products k A 2

6

Appendices

Also hydroperoxide decomposing antioxidants can transform hydroperoxidesto stable products as shown in Reaction (11):

(11) ROOH + A• Inactive products

This antioxidant is effective provided the products are stable, and the rate ismuch faster than reaction (6).

An example of a hydroperoxide-decomposing antioxidant is phenothiaz-ine. In the absence of an antioxidant (or after antioxidant additive depletion),significant quantities of hydroperoxides may accumulate as a result of exten-sive base oil oxidation. Resulting secondary oxidation reactions may occur,leading to the formation of alcohols, ketones, carboxylic acids, and esters.Extensive oxidation can also lead to the formation of high-molecular-weightmaterial, which may form deposits on lubricated surfaces. A dramatic increasein viscosity generally results from extensive oxidation of a lubricant, whichmay also lead to poor lubricant performance. Clearly, extensive lubricant oxi-dation leads to a rapid deterioration of lubricant effectiveness, and at the pointof antioxidant depletion, an automobile engine lubricant should generally beconsidered ineffective and should be replaced with fresh lubricant.

Problem Statement

1. Consider the possible attributes of currently available, general-pur-pose engine lubricants. List them in what you consider their order ofimportance. (You may wish to examine sales displays, advertise-ments, cans/bottles of motor oil, etc., for help with this information.)

2. If you could design an ideal engine lubricant to totally dominate themarketplace, what characteristics would you give it?

3. In the future, a priority will most likely be to make automobile main-tenance easier for the owner. What kind of creative ideas/inventionscan you conceive of for streamlining oil change maintenance for theconsumer? After you’ve generated some ideas (by brainstorming per-haps), critique them from the standpoint of practicality, cost,availability of technology, and so on.

4. Degradation by oxidation is a major cause for having to replaceengine lubricants. Using your knowledge of reaction kinetics, analyzethe degradation of engine lubricants due to oxidation using the reac-tions shown in the introduction (i.e., find an expression for the rate ofdegradation). Consider the following four cases.In the absence of antioxidants, examine base oil (RH) degradation(a) at low temperatures (25°C)(b) at high temperatures (100°C)In the presence of antioxidants, examine base oil (RH) degradation

!!" kA3

Sec. CDH.2 Effective Lubricant Design1

7

(c) at low temperatures (25°C)(d) at high temperatures (100°C)

The units on the preceding rate constants are sec

–1

for first order anddm

3

/mole • sec for second order. The units for the activation energiesare kcal/mole. You may assume for the purposes of this investigationthat 10% conversion of the base oil (RH) is the point at which thelubricant will have to be replaced. From your analysis, what kind ofrecommendations can you make for the improvement of the enginelubricants? If you were making suggestions to the R&D division of alubricant manufacturer, what would you have them investigate tomake the most impact on the retardation of oil degradation by oxida-tion? What kind of experiments should they do? What are the draw-backs of this type of kinetic model for oil degradation? Do you havea better modeling suggestion?

5. Some suggestions that have been turned in to the suggestion box ofSynthoil, an up and coming, newly formed lubricant manufacturer,follow:(a) New cars should be equipped up with a feed-and-bleed system

for the oil. Every so often, a quart of used oil should be drainedand a quart of new oil should be added to the automobile. Thisshould lengthen the necessary time between complete oilchanges and save the consumer money

(b) We should design and market an inhibitor feed system forautomobiles that would allow us to maintain a minimum inhib-itor concentration in the engine oil, thereby protecting it fromexcessive oxidative breakdown.

As head of the R&D division of this progressive company, it is yourjob to investigate the technical feasibility of these suggestions andreport on them at the next Board of Directors meeting. Investigate oneof these suggestions, or substitute an equally good one of your ownand investigate it. Be creative!

Problem Information

Synthoil Cost Data for Evaluation Purposes:Complete oil change: $29.95 (includes 5 qts. oil, filter, and labor)Quart of oil: $1.50 (typical engine = 5 qt. capacity)Inhibitor (antioxidant, AH): $0.10/gram, approx. MW = 100 g

[RH] 0 = 3 M [I

2 ] 0 = 0.10 M k 0 10

–6

( E act = 7.5)

k

A1

= 10

3

(

E

act

= 10) = 1.58 (

E

act

= 8.5) = 10

–6

(

E

act

= 9)

k

t

=

10

7

(

E

act

= 0)

k

A2

= 10

3

(

E

act

= 9)

k

A3 3.33

&

10

–3

(

E

act

= 10)

kP2ki3

8

Appendices

Additional Information

H. Scott Fogler,

Elements of Chemical Reaction Engineering

, 2nd ed. Engle-wood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1992. Given as an OEP at The Univer-sity of Michigan, Winter 1991.

CDH.3 Peach Bottom Nuclear Reactor

2

Background

The Peach Bottom Nuclear Reactor, located in Georgia, has been built and isalmost operational. The reactor is a boiling water nuclear reactor that produces1,100 MW of power and cost approximately $2 billion to build. The effluentfrom the reactor contains cooling air and isotopes of krypton and xenon. Themajor constituents of the stream are Kr-83m and Xe-135, which are present inthe exit gas at concentrations of 3.19

&

10

6

mCi/dm

3

and 1.4

&

10

–3

mCi/dm

3

,respectively. The volumetric gas flow rate exiting the reactor is 2.75 m

3

/hr at atemperature of 3C.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued emission limits forKr-83m and Xe-135 in the Federal Register, (Vol. 56, No. 98, Part VI, datedTuesday, May 21, 1991). The emission standards as issued are .05 mCi/dm

3 for

Kr-83m and 7.0 & 10–5

mCi/dm3 for Xe-135.

Problem Statement

Propose two or more solutions that will enable the Peach Bottom NuclearReactor to go on line with the 2.75 m

3/hr of exit gas meeting the NRC emis-

sion standards. Please show all calculations and include any diagrams neces-sary to thoroughly explain your solutions. Additional information and

2 Problem developed by Susan Stagg, University of Michigan, from a problem sug-gested by Octave Levenspiel, Oregon State University.

Sec. CDH.4 Underground Wet Oxidation3 9

properties for Kr-83m and Xe-135 can be obtained from the Handbook ofChemistry and Physics.

Problem Information

Ci is the symbol for a curie. A curie is the unit of radioactivity equivalent to3.70 &1010 disintegrations per second. This unit is named after Marie Curie.

Additional Information

H. SCOTT FOGLER. Elements of Chemical Reaction Engineering. 2nd ed. Engle-wood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1992.

DAVID R. LIDE. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. Ann Arbor, Mich.:CRC Press, 1993.

Given as an OEP at The University of Michigan, Winter 1994.

CDH.4 Underground Wet Oxidation3

Background

Several of your company’s chemical processes generate aqueous waste streamscontaining a large number of hazardous compounds that are presently beingdestroyed by incineration. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of your com-pany saw the attached article in a local journal. He asked the Director of theEngineering Service Division (ESD) if the technology would be useful fortreating the aqueous waste streams from your plant. After assuring the CEOthat he would investigate the possibilities, the ESD Director asked the Managerof the Reaction Engineering Group to check it out. The manager, who is alsoyour supervisor, handed the assignment to you.

Problem Statement

Your mission is to evaluate the technology, size a reactor system, and specifyappropriate operating conditions for oxidizing the components of the aqueouswaste streams. The Engineering Economics group will then compare the costsof your artesian with incineration to assess the relative financial merits of usingthe new technology.

Effluent data:

Constituent Concentration NRC Emission

in Effluent (mCi/dm3) Standard (mCi/dm3)

Kr-83m 3.19 & 106 0.05

Xe-135 1.4 & 10–3 7.0 & 10–––5

3 Problem developed by Professor Phillip E. Savage, University of Michigan.

10 Appendices

A few questions to provide some initial direction in your evaluation fol-low:

• At what temperature and pressure should the reactor operate? • Is an underground reactor better than the conventional above-ground reac-

tor? • What safety considerations do you need to include in your design for this

high-temperature, high-pressure process involving hazardous chemicals? • Can you ethically recommend this technology to your management? Is it

sufficiently proven? • How confident are you that your reactor will be able to destroy the hazard-

ous chemicals and meet the design specifications? • Are the products of incomplete oxidation also hazardous? • What material should be used to construct the reactor? Will corrosion be a

problem? • Should the reactor operate isothermally, adiabatically, or with heat transfer?

Problem Information

To complete your work, you will need more information than the article pro-vides. Fortunately, your company’s Technical Service Division can conductexperiments for you (for a fee, of course). To request their services, you needonly send the Technical Services Manager a written memo explaining whatyou want them to do. They will let you know the cost and time required to dothe work. Then, if you still want the work done, they will provide the results.

Additional Information:

H. SCOTT FOGLER. Elements of Chemical Reaction Engineering. 2nd ed. Engle-wood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1992.

Given as an OEP at The University of Michigan, Winter 1994.

(Note: The following journal article is based upon one found in the December7, 1988, edition of the New York Times.)

CDH.5 Hydrodesulfurization Reactor Design4

Background

Just as you arrive at work one morning, your supervisor, Dr. Jones, says heneeds to speak with you and your design group. He seems concerned aboutsomething, so you locate your group members and hurry into his office. As thelast member of your group shuffles in, you turn to your supervisor and ask,“okay, we are all here. What did you want to talk to us about?”

“Well, one of the processes recently proposed by the Process R& Dgroup produces a by-product stream consisting of nearly pure benzothiophene.

4 Problem developed by John T. Santini, Jr., University of Michigan.

Sec. CDH.5 Hydrodesulfurization Reactor Design4 11

Because benzothiophene contains sulfur and an aromatic ring, we cannot ventthis stream into the atmosphere. The engineers in Catalyst Developmentbelieve that we can use a hydrodesulfurization reaction to convert ben-zothiophene into ethylbenzene with a cobalt-molybdenum catalyst supportedon alumina. If we can design a reactor to do this efficiently, we could sell theethylbenzene as a commodity chemical. The other product, hydrogen sulfide,could be sent to the sulfur treatment facilities in Building 12.

“I know that your group’s specialty is reactor design, so I’m assigningthe hydrodesulfurization reactor project to you. I would like a progress reportin three weeks and a final design report four weeks after that. I’ve compiled alist of items that you should include in each of these reports. I know it hasbeen a while since most of you designed a reactor from start to finish, so I’veincluded a partial list of references that may help you. They will be especiallyhelpful with the selection of the materials of construction. I know this assign-ment is open-ended and requires a lot of engineering judgment, but justremember to use your common sense and BE CREATIVE! Any questions?”

“No. We’ll get started right away,” you reply as you and your group leavethe office.

Problem Statement

As your supervisor told you, the engineers in Catalyst Development think thatbenzothiophene could be converted to ethylbenzene by a hydrodesulfurization

When wet waste material is mixed with oxygen under high pressures, thewet oxidation process produces sterile ash and clean water. The process is idealfor degrading sewage sludge and other waste material. However, frequently thehigh pressure requires special equipment and large process plants.

It has been suggested that gravity might provide the high pressures, as indi-cated by this setup. The reaction is carried out 5,000 ft underground. The wastematerial and oxygen are transported by pipes to the bottom of the vessel. Fallingwaste material provides the needed excess pressure. The reaction typically occursat approximately 550°F and 2,000 psi. The products are drawn to the surface viaa third pipe.

12 Appendices

reaction. Before you commit the company’s time and money to design a reac-tor for this reaction, you may want to attempt to verify that the production ofethylbenzene is economically feasible. In other words, are the products worthmore than the reactants and energy required to make them? If you discover theanswer is no, you may have saved your company thousands of dollars indesign fees. Research this issue and discuss your findings in your progressreport. (See the Additional Information section for some references that mayhelp in answering these questions.) If you knew that your supervisor supportedthe design of the new reactor and you discovered that producing ethylbenzenefrom benzothiophene was not cost effective, how would you inform yoursupervisor of this?

The progress report may consist of a maximum of five pages, excludingfigures and appendices. In the progress report, be sure that your group providessupport for your choice of

• Reactor (i.e., PER, PER, fluidized CSTR, etc.)• Adiabatic vs. isothermal reactor operation• Reactor temperatures and pressures (Hint: Single-phase reactions are

less complicated than multiple-phase reactions)• Feed ratio of hydrogen to benzothiophene• Effluent conditions and compositions• The weight of catalyst required

Also include

• A qualitative discussion of the effect that operating conditions and themethod of operation have on capital and operating costs

• Justification for any assumptions made• Appendices summarizing your calculations

The final design report may consist of a maximum of ten pages, exclud-ing figures and appendices. In the final design report, you should provide sup-port for your choice of

• Materials of construction for the reactor (Hint: Is the material suscep-tible to accelerated corrosion due to the presence of sulfur or hydro-gen?)

• Reactor shape and dimensions • Reactor wall thickness

Also include

• Support for any changes in the initial reactor design presented in yourprogress report

• Any environmental or safety concerns that may be relevant to yourdesign

• Diagram of the reactor• Justification for any assumptions made• Appendices summarizing ALL calculations

Sec. CDH.5 Hydrodesulfurization Reactor Design4 13

Problem Information

The reaction is

In past research studies, the proposed reaction has been run in the vaporphase with reactor temperatures of 240–300°C, total pressures of 2–30 atm,and hydrogen to benzothiophene feed ratios of 4 : 1 to 9 : 1. These experi-ments resulted in the development of the following rate law. (Note: You mayassume that the rate law holds for conditions outside this range. Therefore, youare in no way constrained to using these operating ranges and should use themonly as guides.)

The rate law is

where

kB(260°C) = 6.65 & 10–5 mol/gcat • s kB(300°C) = 1.80 & 10–4 mol/gcat • s

KB(260°C) = 19.3 atm–1 KB(300°C) = 9.90 & 10–2 atm–1

(260°C) = 0.358 atm–1 (300°C) = 1.84 & 10–3 atm–1

(260°C) = 211 (300°C) = 10.82

(Note: The heat of adsorption was estimated at –80 kcal/mol for all threespecies.)

Catalyst Properties:

Particle diameter: 0.08 cm

For a packed bed reactor:

For a fluidized CSTR:

+ 3H 2

Benziothiophene(Thianapthene)

Ethylbenzene

+ H 2S

rB"

#kBKBKH2

PBPH2

1 KH2PH2

( )0.5 KH2S

PH2S

PH2

----------' () *+ ,

KBPB( )! ! !

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------#

KH2KH2

KH2S KH2S

- = porosity = 0.30

. = pressure drop parameter = 0.34 kg–1

- = porosity = 0.75

. = pressure drop parameter = 0.005 kg–1

14 Appendices

Feed (pure benzothiophene before the addition of hydrogen):

FB0 = 20 mol/h

T0 = entering temperature = 260°C

Tmelt = melting temperature at 1 atm = 32°C

Tboil = boiling temperature at 1 atm = 221°C

References

M. J. GIRGIS and B. C. GATES. “Reactivities, Reaction Networks and Kineticsin High-Pressure Catalytic Hydroprocessing.” Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 30,2021–2058, (1991).

I. A. VAN PARIJS, L. H. HOSTEN, and G. F. FROMENT. “Kinetics ofHydrodesulfurization on a CoMo//-Al2O3 Catalyst. 2. Kinetics of theHydrogenolysis of Benzothiophene.” Ind. Eng. Chem. Prod. Res. Dev., 25,437–443, (1986).

Additional Information

Economic Sources:Chemical Marketing Reporter. New York: Schnell Publishing Co., Inc.Oil, Paint, and Drug Reporter. New York: Schnell Publishing Co., Inc.

Reactor Codes: “Rules for Construction of Pressure Vessels.” A.S.M.E. Boiler and Pressure Ves-

sel Code (Section VIII). July 1, 1980. S. YOKELL. “Understanding the Pressure Vessel Codes.” Chem. Eng. 75–85

(May 12, 1986).Selection of Materials: G. N. KIRBY. “How to Select Materials.” Chem. Eng. 86–131 (Nov. 3, 1980).G. N. KIRBY. “Corrosion Performance of Carbon Steel.” Chem. Eng. 72–84

(March 12, 1979). M. S. PETERS and K. D. TIMMERHAUS. Plant Design and Economics for Chem-

ical Engineers. 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, l99l. C. M. SCHILLMOLLER, “Solving High-Temperature Problems in Oil Refineries

and Petrochemical Plants.” Mat. Eng. 83–87 (January 6, 1986).Thermodynamic and Physical Property Data: DAVID R. LIDE. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. Ann Arbor, Mich.:

CRC Press, 1993. R. H. PERRY, D. W. GREEN, and J. O. MALONEY. Chemical Engineers’ Hand-

book, 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1984.

Sec. CDH.6 Continuous Bioprocessing5 15

CDH.6 Continuous Bioprocessing5

Background

In some biochemical processes, it is desired to use continuous rather thanbatch processing for economic and efficiency reasons. An example of a contin-uous process is given in Figure H-1.

The animal cells are in a suspension (they may or may not be on beads)in the reactor unit. When the growth medium is fed in, the cells begin to pro-duce the desired product. The exit stream (supernatant) is composed of thisproduct along with any unused growth media. It is critical that the animal cellsare not removed with the supernatant but are retained in solution. It is alsoimportant to keep the reactor well-stirred without exerting a large shear stresson the cells, since this may kill or damage them. In addition, the product flowrate from the reactor must not be fast (the space time is of the order of 0.5 to2 days).

Problem Statement

Your problem is to design a reactor for an actual process of your choice thatwill meet the preceding specifications (see the following journal references forhints and examples). Consider the aspects of mixing, separation, and kinetics.

Additional Information

C. BECK, H. STIEFEL, and T. STINNETT. “Cell-Culture Bioreactors,” Chem. Eng. 121–129 (February 16, 1987).

R. MILLER and M. MELICK. “Modeling Bioreactors,” Chem. Eng. 112–120 (February 16, 1987)

H. SCOTT FOGLER. Elements of Chemical Reaction Engineering. 2nd ed. EnglewoodCliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1992.

M. F. RUBINSTEIN. Tools for Thinking and Problem-Solving. Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: Prentice-Hall, 1986.

5 Problem provided by The Upjohn Company, Kalamazoo, Michigan.

The animal cells are in a suspension (they may or may not be on beads)

Growthmediafeed

Animalcellssuspendedin media

Supernatant(cell free)

0cells

1 0media

Figure 1 Continuous Bioreactor.

Figure CDH-1 Continuous bioreactor.

16 Appendices

CDH.7 Methanol Synthesis6

Background

Kinetic models based on experimental data are being used more frequently inthe chemical industry for the design of catalytic reactors, but the modeling pro-cess itself can influence the final reactor design and its ultimate performanceby incorporating different interpretations of experimental design into the basickinetic models.

Model Reaction. The reaction for the synthesis of methanol is

2H2 + CO CH3OH

This reaction is commercially significant and chemically simple, and the ther-modynamic properties of the chemical species are well known. The mech-anism assumed here is complex enough to make some sophistication necessaryfor the analysis, but it is too simple to be really true. We assumed a chemicalmechanism of medium complexity, comprised of several elementary reactionsteps, for the synthesis of methanol. The data were generated for the overallreaction as it would occur in a backmixed, gradientless, experimental reactor atrealistic reaction conditions. The final data set is from a statistically designed,central composite set of simulated experiments, to which 5% random error wasadded. It comprises a total of 27 simulated results (see Table CDH-1).

Problem Statement

The primary purpose of this model is to develop kinetic modeling methods andapproaches. We have included the reactor simulation part primarily to afford arealistic basis for the comparison of different kinetic models. The design of thereactor to be simulated; the thermodynamic, transport, and physical propertiesdata to be used; and the reaction conditions to be assumed are specified inTables CDH-2 and CDH-3. The reactor is a commercially realistic, plant-scale,shell-and-tube reactor, suitable for the synthesis of methanol. However, itsactual design, its reaction conditions, and its performance will be differentfrom those of any existing commercial methanol process. Simulate theshell-and-tube reactor at specified conditions, using a simple, one-dimensional,plug-flow, pseudohomogeneous, nonisothermal reactor model. Further, investi-gate the effect of different coolant temperatures. In all calculations, assumethat the ideal gas law applies.

With this in mind, the following tasks should be completed. 1. Develop a kinetic model for the synthesis of methanol from the set of

synthetic rate data shown in Table CDH-1.

6 Problem presented by J. Berty, S. Lee, F. Szeifert, and J. Cropley at the InternationalWorkshop on Kinetic Model Development, AIChE Meeting, Denver, CO, August1983. (With Permission)

!!"

Sec. CDH.7 Methanol Synthesis6

17

2. Simulate a plant-scale catalytic reactor at specified reaction conditions,using your kinetic model. The design of the reactor, the reaction con-ditions, and necessary thermodynamic and physical property data aregiven in Tables CDH-2 and CDH-3.

3. Summarize your results in the format shown in Table CDH-4. Thenplot the results with temperature on the y-axis and distance on thex-axis.

4. Suggest a cooling water temperature to be used.

Problem Information

T

ABLE

CDH-1.

D

ATA FOR

K

INETIC

A

NALYSIS

Partial Pressure (kPa)

Experiment Rate

(mol/m

3

s) Temp.

(K) Methanol CO Hydrogen

1 6.573 495 1013 4052 8509

2 4.819 495 1013 4052 5906 3 6.27 495 1013 1530 8509 4 4.928 495 1013 1530 5906 5 10.115 495 253 4052 8509 6 7.585 495 253 4052 5906 7 9.393 495 253 1530 8509 8 7.124 495 253 1530 5906 9 1.768 475 1013 4052 8509

10 1.177 475 1013 4052 5906 11 1.621 475 1013 1530 8509 12 1.293 475 1013 1530 5906 13 2.827 475 253 4052 8509 14 2.125 475 253 4052 5906 15 2.883 475 253 1530 8509 16 2.035 475 253 1530 5906 17 4.03 485 507 2533 7091 18 3.925 485 507 2533 7091 19 3.938 485 507 2533 7091 20 10.561 500 507 2533 7091 21 1.396 470 507 2533 7091 22 2.452 485 1520 2533 7091 23 5.252 485 172 2533 7091 24 3.731 485 507 4862 7091 25 3.599 485 507 1276 7091 26 5.085 485 507 2533 9330

27 3.202 485 507 2533 5369

18

Appendices

Additional Information

H. S

COTT

F

OGLER

.

Elements of Chemical Reaction Engineering

. 2nd ed. EnglewoodCliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1992.

T

ABLE

CDH-2.

R

EACTOR

, C

ATALYST

,

AND

P

ROCESS

C

ONDITIONS FOR

S

IMULATION

R

EACTOR

C

ONDITIONS

Reactor

Type: shell and tubeTubes: 3000, 38.1 mm i.d.

&

12 mCoolant: boiling water is on shell side; assume coolant temperature constant at 483 K Heat-transfer coefficient (overall): assume 631 W/m

2

• K

Catalyst Description

Shape: Approximately sphericalDiameter: 2.87 mmEffective catalyst bed void fraction: 40%Diffusional resistance: may be ignored

Process Conditions

Feed gas: Composition: 70 mol% H

2

; 30 mol% CO Space Velocity: 10,000 standard cubic meters per hour per cubic meter of reactor volume Reactor inlet pressure: l0.13 MPaReactor inlet temperature: 473 KReactor coolant temperature: 483 K (constant)

T

ABLE

CDH-3.

P

HYSICAL

P

ROPERTY AND

T

HERMODYNAMIC

I

NFORMATION

Prandtl number of gas: 0.70 (assume constant)Heat capacity of gas: 29.31 J/g mol • K (assume constant)Viscosity of gas: 1.6

&

10

–5

Ps • s (assume constant)Heat of reaction: –97.97 kJ/mol methanol formedThermodynamic equilibrium constant: (T in K)

log

10

K

eq

= – 7.971 log

10

T +

0.002499

T

–

(2.953

&

10

–7

)

T

2

+ 10.2

T

ABLE

CDH-4.

R

ESULTS

Authors:

Shell-side temperature (K) 483

Maximum tube-side temperature

Location from inlet of max. temp.

Outlet temperature

Outlet methanol concentration

Same as fraction of equilib. value

Production rate (kg/h)

3921T

-----------

Sec. CDH.8 Cajun Seafood Gumbo

19

CDH.8 Cajun Seafood Gumbo

Most gourmet foods are prepared by batch processes. In this problem, studentsare challenged to design a continuous process for the production of gour-met-quality Cajun seafood gumbo from an old family recipe. The focus is onreactor design.

Most gourmet foods are prepared by a batch process (actually in a batchreactor). Some of the most difficult gourmet foods to prepare are Louisianaspecialities, owing to the delicate balance between spices (hotness) and subtleflavors that must be achieved. In preparing Creole and Cajun food, certain fla-vors are released only by cooking some of the ingredients in hot oil for aperiod of time.

We shall focus on one specialty, Cajun seafood gumbo. Develop a con-tinuous-flow reactor system that would produce 5 gal/h of a gourmet-qualityseafood gumbo. Prepare a flow sheet of the entire operation. Outline certainexperiments and areas of research that would be needed to ensure the successof the project. Discuss how to research these problems. Make a plan for anyexperiments to be carried out (see Section 5.6).

Following is an old family formula for Cajun seafood gumbo for batchoperation (10 quarts, serves 40):

1 cup flour 4 bay leaves, crushed1 cups olive oil cup chopped parsley1 cup chopped celery 3 large Idaho potatoes (diced)2 large red onions (diced) 1 tablespoon ground pepper5 qt fish stock 1 tablespoon tomato paste6 lb fish (combination of cod, red 5 cloves garlic (diced)

snapper, monk fish, and halibut) tablespoon Tabasco sauce12 oz crabmeat 1 bottle dry white wine1 qt medium oysters 1 lb scallops1 lb medium to large shrimp

1. Make a roux (i.e., add 1 cup flour to 1 cup of boiling olive oil). Cookuntil dark brown. Add roux to fish stock.

2. Cook chopped celery and onion in boiling olive oil until onion istranslucent. Drain and add to fish stock.

3. Add of the fish (2 lb) and of the crabmeat, liquor from oysters,bay leaves, parsley, potatoes, black pepper, tomato paste, garlic,Tabasco, and cup of the olive oil. Bring to a slow boil and cook4 h, stirring intermittently.

4. Add 1 qt cold water, remove from the stove, and refrigerate (at least12 h) until 2 h before serving.

5. Remove from refrigerator, add cup of the olive oil, wine, and scallops.Bring to a light boil, then simmer for 2 h. Add remaining fish (cut to bitesize), crabmeat, and water to bring total volume to 10 qt. Simmer for 2 h,add shrimp, add oysters 10 minutes later, and serve immediately.

12--- 1

2---

12---

13--- 1

3---

14---

12---

14---

20 Appendices

CDH.9 Alcohol Metabolism7

The purpose of this OEP is for the students to apply their knowledge of reac-tion kinetics to the problem of modeling the alcohol in humans. In addition,the students will present their findings in a poster session. The poster presen-tations will be designed to bring a greater awareness to the university commu-nity of the dangers associated with alcohol consumption. The project willconsist of two memos, a final report, and a poster presentation. The poster pre-sentation will be held in the Media Union atrium during Spring-fest.

Students should choose one of the following four major topics to further investigate:

1. Death caused by acute alcohol overdose 2. Long-term effects of alcohol3. Interactions of alcohol with common medications4. Factors affecting metabolism of alcohol

Some general information regarding each of these topics follows.

General Background of Alcohol Metabolism

After alcohol is ingested, some of the ethanol is metabolized in the stomach byan enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). However, the stomach is notthe primary site for alcohol metabolism. Any unmetabolized alcohol isabsorbed into the bloodstream through the stomach and small intestine. Theblood is transported to the liver, where the majority of alcohol metabolismoccurs. The liver can only metabolize alcohol at a fixed rate (i.e., it is zeroorder with respect to ethanol concentration). Therefore, any alcohol that isunmetabolized enters the systemic circulation and travels throughout the bodyuntil the liver can metabolize it. The liver metabolized alcohol via multipleenzymes, most notably ADH. Alcohol is water-soluble and therefore isabsorbed primarily be water in the body. Absorption sites include the bloodand the water fluid inside and surrounding the cells. The alcohol is thereforeabsorbed by most organs including the brain.

1. Death caused by acute alcohol overdose• At blood alcohol levels of 300–400 mg/ml, deep coma occurs, and

death may occur due to central nervous system (CSN) and respira-tory depression (i.e., you stop breathing).

• Once in the brain, ethanol binds to an enzyme, GABA. With anethanol molecule present, this enzyme binds more tightly to itssubstrate. GABA and other similar receptors are responsible forcontrolling ion levels of Cl–, Ca+2, and K+. Extremely high or lowlevels of these ions can cause respiratory problems as well asheartbeat irregularities.

• Death also can occur due to aspiration. Death occurs most oftenwhen a person drinks in excess and passes out. The alcohol still inhis or her stomach causes the valve leading to the intestines tospasm causing the person to vomit. Vomiting is essentially a last-

7 Winter 2001 Chemical Reaction Engineering OEP.

Sec. CDH.9 Alcohol Metabolism7 21

ditch effort by the body to get the alcohol out of the body before itpasses into the intestines where it will be absorbed. If the person isunconscious at the time, there is a good chance he or she willessentially choke on his or her own vomit.

• The development of a pharmokinetic model will require estimates(or possibly even guesses) of the rate constants for the mechanismsand reactions discussed here.

2. Long-term effects• Chronic use of alcohol can have toxic effects on many organs

including: brain damage, liver failure, heart damage (increased riskof coronary heart disease), and gastrointestinal disorders. Modelsmay be constructed showing how long (or how much) a personmust drink before damage begins to appear.

• Enzyme levels in the stomach and liver may be altered, changingthe rate of metabolism of alcohol. Metabolism models that takedrinking habits into account can be developed (i.e., the alcoholmetabolism of a person’s first drink will be different from that of achronic drinker’s metabolism).

3. Interactions of alcohol with common mediations• Some medications (e.g., Tylenol or acetaminophen) are broken

down by the same enzymes that metabolize alcohol. Therefore, ifalcohol and Tylenol are consumed at the same time, the alcoholand the acetaminophen both compete for the same enzyme. Theensuing competition for the same enzyme can cause the level ofalcohol and acetaminophen to remain at higher than normal levelsfor a longer period of time and can lead to acute or chronic liverdamage.

• Medications can block the normal enzyme activity of ADH. LowerADH activity can cause the blood alcohol level to be higher than aperson would have otherwise experienced. These ADH-blockingdrugs include aspirin and heartburn or ulcer medications.

• The bacteria in a healthy person’s large intestine may also play arole in metabolizing alcohol. A person taking antibiotics thatreduce the levels of bacteria in the intestine may have a slower rateof alcohol metabolism.

• There are many other interactions between alcohol and variousdrugs (both over-the-counter and prescription) that can be investi-gated. The development of models and mechanisms for these reac-tions will require estimates of the kinetic parameters.

4. Factors affecting metabolism of alcohol• Women vs. Men: Women have less total body fluid than men. Also,

women have lower levels of ADH in their stomachs than men. TheADH enzyme plays a key role inmetabolizing alcohol.

• In some ethnic groups, a polymorphism in the ADH genes mayinterfere with alcohol metabolism, causing the facial flushing reac-tion.

22 Appendices

• Chronic drinking seems to increase the level of some enzymesresponsible for metabolizing alcohol, specifically CYP2E1. Anincrease in theses enzymes would increase the rate at which alco-hol could be broken down.

• There are many other factors that will influence the metabolism ofalcohol.

The suggestions listed here are by no means all inclusive. Students should doresearch within their groups to look at other possibilities within each group. Abrief outline of the assignments follows.

Memo 1: The students should discuss each of the four options presented andbriefly mention the key ideas associated with each topic. The students shouldselect one of the categories on which to focus their project. Then, using differ-ent brainstorming techniques, the students should make a list of relevant sub-topics that could be investigated further. A Gantt chart for the completion ofthe project should be included. A list of references will be provided to give thestudents a starting point.

Memo 2: After one of the four project topics has been selected, the studentsshould choose two or three main subtopics to focus on. The groups should per-form a literature search and conduct web research to obtain relevant informa-tion. The students should come up with a model to illustrate the kineticsbehind their topic. Students are encouraged to make realistic assumptionswherever needed and to make educated engineering guesses for specific infor-mation they may be lacking. This memo should also describe some of the cre-ative ways in which you plan to display your results.

Final Report: The final report should be a one-page summary of the first andsecond memos, along with no more than one additional page that discusseswhich factors are most important and why. In addition, the final report shouldserve as a supplement to the poster presentation so that, if needed, it can beused as a reference for further information.

Poster Presentation: The students should prepare a poster for display at in theMedia Union during Spring-fest. The purpose of this poster is to educate theuniversity community and classmates as to what the groups have found regard-ing their alcohol research. Posters should be informative and visually appeal-ing. Pamphlets or similar handouts will be encouraged. The posters should beas creative as possible. External judges will evaluate the posters. In the past wehave had chemical engineering professors from Michigan State, Wayne State,and the University of Toledo, along with other chemical engineers.

CDH.10 Methanol Ingestion

If methanol is ingested, it can be metabolized to formaldehyde, which cancause blindness if the formaldehyde reaches a concentration of 0.16 g/dm3 offluid in the body; a concentration of 0.75 g/dm3 will be lethal. After all themethanol has been removed from the stomach, the primary treatment is to

Sec. CDH.10 Methanol Ingestion 23

intravenously inject ethanol to tie up (competitive inhibition) the enzyme alco-hol degydrogenase (ADH) so that methanol is not converted to formaldehydeand is eliminated from the body through the kidney and bladder (k7). We willassume as a first approximation that the body is a well-mixed CSTR of 40 dm3

(total body fluid). In Section 7.5, we apply a more rigorous model.The following reaction scheme can be applied to the body.

Ethanol Acetaldehyde + Water (1)

Methanol Formaldehyde + Water (2)

First, show

Methanol has been ingested and after pumping the stomach methanol has ahigh initial concentration.Investigate how ethanol should be used to prevent blindness.

The suggestions listed here are by ne means all inclusive. Studentsshould do research within their groups to look at other possibilities within eachgroup.First, show that for immediate injection of ethanol

= –rP1 – k7(S) t = 0 S = S0

= –rP2 – k7(M) t = 0 M = M0

= +rP2 – k7(P2) t = 0 (P2) = 0

Show that for continuous injection of ethanol

= –rP1 – k7(S) + riv

Emergency room guidelines suggest a 10 volume % of ethanol be administeredtravenously according to the rate 0.16 g ethanol/kg body weight/h. How doesthe value compare with your model?

• Use the following values for Vmax1 and KM1 for ethanol, neglecting thereverse reaction of acealdehyde to ethanol. As a first approximation,use the same values for methanol. Next, vary Vmax2 the initial metha-

!!" ADH

!!" ADH

rP1Vmax1 S( )

S KM1 1 MKM2----------!' (

+ ,!---------------------------------------------$

rP2Vmax2 M( )

M KM2 1 SKM1----------!' (

+ ,!-----------------------------------------------$

d S( )dt

-----------

d M( )dt

-------------

d P2( )dt

-------------

d S( )dt

-----------

24

Appendices

nol concentration (0.1 gm/dm

3

<

C

M

< 2 gm/dm

3

), (0.1

V

max1

<

V

max2

< 2

V

max1

),

k

7

, and the intravenous injection rate,

r

.• There are 10 mg of methanol per 12 ounce can of diet pop. How

many cans and how fast must you need to drink them to cause blind-ness. Just estimate, no need to modify and run the Polymath program.

Additional Information

The standard reference body weight is 70 kg.

S = EthanolM = MethanolE = ADHP

1

= AcetaldehydeP

2

= FormaldehydeP

3 = Excretion products

Reaction sequence

Metabolism 1

Mettabolism 2

Eliminnation 1

KM1 = Michaelis constant for ethanolKM2 = Michaelis constant for methanolVmax1 = Vmax for ethanolVmax2 = Vmax for methanol

Base case parameter values (to be varied)Vmax1 = 3.1 milligrams/(dm3 • min)Vmax2 = 2.16 milligrams/(dm3 • min)KM1 = 1.53 milligrams/dm3

KM2 = 1.07 milligrams/dm3

k7 = 3.47 & 10–5 min (kidney removes 0.0833 liters of fluid per hour)assume the concentration in the urine is the same as the blood.

M0 = 0.25 g/dm3

S0 = To be found

S E !!" E S ! E

S !!" E + S

E

S !!" P 1 + E #2$2%

k

1

k

2

k

3

M E !!" M E ! M E !!" M + EM E !!" P 2 + E #

2$2%

k

4

k

6

k

5

M !!" P 3

S !!" P 3

P

2 !!" P 3

k

7

k

7

k

7